MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the complaints made by the Comptroller and Auditor General and by the Treasury of the inadequacy and the want of explicit-ness and clearness of the explanations offered by the War Office to account for the great differences between the sums estimated for and the sums actually expended during the year 1892–3; whether he can afford any further explanation of the fact that in this year on the Vote of Guns and Carriages, Repairs, and Conversions, whereas the sum of £41,300 was voted no less than £62,248 11s. 9d. was actually spent, and that under the head of Appropriations in Aid the sales of old stores, estimated to produce £105,000,only produced £55,136 11s.7d., in both which cases the inadequacy of the explanation has been specially noted by the Treasury; and whether, in future, steps will be taken to secure that the estimate and the expenditure shall be more evenly balanced?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI am aware of the references made by the Comptroller and Auditor General to these two cases. As attention has thus been specially called to them, they will necessarily be examined and considered by the Accounts Committee, and the War Department will be prepared to give to that Committee all the explanations required. That is the regular process, which it is not desirable to anticipate.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESI should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, in the meantime, any steps will be taken to meet the suggestions and requirements of the Auditor and Comptroller General?
§ * MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANNo doubt we will meet the views of the Comptroller and Auditor General as far as possible.